This post is late but I really didn't know how I wanted to approach the subject of political poetry. I tend to stay away from any type of political thought and conversation, because it usually causes hurt feelings or certain issues or problems. After our class, listening and talking about Browning’s poem “The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point” and its effect on academia has really made me think about how she has taken on the voice of a black slave. She has broken a barrier with her poem and created a space for her to identify with the slaves, which of course causes uproar because her family owns slaves. However, it is at this point where you begin to respect Browning for her ability to speak about the impact and horrors of slavery through the voice of a woman allowing people to see slavery for what it truly is, absolutely horrible.
In stanza thirty-three of the poem, Browning speaks through the mouth of a slave who has been beaten and moves into the act of rebelling, “Up to the mountains, lift your hands, / O slaves, and end what I begun!” (201). We discussed that for a woman who was white and part of a family who owns slaves, that this is one of the key moments in Browning’s poetry where she shows how she internalizes the story of a slave. As politically charged as this poem has become, it is incredibly eye opening to hear from someone who observed slaves being mistreated to come out and tell them to stand up for what is right.
In stanza thirty-three of the poem, Browning speaks through the mouth of a slave who has been beaten and moves into the act of rebelling, “Up to the mountains, lift your hands, / O slaves, and end what I begun!” (201). We discussed that for a woman who was white and part of a family who owns slaves, that this is one of the key moments in Browning’s poetry where she shows how she internalizes the story of a slave. As politically charged as this poem has become, it is incredibly eye opening to hear from someone who observed slaves being mistreated to come out and tell them to stand up for what is right.